Two doctoral nursing students named Jonas Scholars

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student Priyanka Roy, BSN, RN, and PhD student Angela Miller, MN, APRN, CNM, were named Jonas Scholars by Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Scholars were selected for their academic achievement, commitment to teaching, and research abilities. As Jonas Scholars, they will engage in two years of learning from nationwide nursing experts and developing new skills to transition into a nursing faculty role.

“It’s exciting. It’s a fantastic opportunity for mentorship and connection,” says Miller, who provides full-scope midwifery care and will graduate from the PhD program in 2026. “I want to incorporate more research into my practice, and I want to include more teaching into my role. As nurses, we’re always teaching in some capacity, but I want to provide something more academic, like being faculty.”

Roy, who is a student in the DNP family nurse practitioner program and grew up in Kharagpur, India, is committed to serving as faculty to address the shortage of diverse nursing educators.

“This significant lack of diverse representation among nursing faculty hampers efforts to provide inclusive and culturally competent education of aspiring nursing students from marginalized communities,” says Roy. 

Advocacy is also core to Roy’s service as a nurse. “The Jonas scholarship will help me continue my education and training to become a nursing faculty leader to advocate at the state and national level for policy reform,” she says.

The Jonas Scholar program aims to improve health care by expanding the pool of PhD and DNP-prepared nurses needed to educate the next generation of nurse leaders. Jonas Scholars receive financial support, mentorship and curriculum tailored to them.

Both Roy and Miller will attend the 2025 Jonas Scholar Conference in Washington, D.C.